Gambling all on red

If Malcolm Glazer thinks he will make quick bucks out of his Manchester United takeover, he may well be in for a surprise

When Manchester United last headed for Cardiff in the FA Cup, the squad visited a humble chip shop in mid-Wales. Photographs of Wayne Rooney and Co tucking into their fish and sausage suppers depicted perfectly the character of the club Sir Alex Ferguson has fought 18 years to preserve. To critics, “ManYoo” may be an obnoxious conglomerate; to supporters and insiders, United remain a down-to-earth, locally rooted family. That ideal is over, gone — like a puff of smoke from the cannons of the pretend pirate ship that presides at the Raymond James Stadium, home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bucs and bucks. The Glazer family’s secrecy means not even their closest aides know what lies in store for United, but the two certainties are aggressive money-making and Americanisation. The Glazers’ record on the gridiron suggests revolution off the field but continuity on it. According to a former adviser, “the first